FREE – What Does It Mean to Think Without Images? – Aphantasia Drop-In

What Does It Mean to Think Without Images? 

Have you ever considered what it would be like to think without images, or in silence? Is this a familiar experience to you, or not? Join Neesa Suncheuri Sunar in an exploration into aphantasia, a distinct cognitive profile causing reduced to no ability to create mental imagery. From absent visual imagery to silent cognition without a capacity for thinking about music aurally, Neesa will explore the multisensory aspects of the aphantasic experience. This presentation will include clips from a film, which will prompt vivid discussion of the aphantasic experience.

After the event, participants are invited to join for dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Timings: 5pm – 6pm

Free, drop in, un-ticketed event

Neesa Suncheuri Sunar is a PhD student and researcher at the University of Salford, supported by the Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity Doctoral Research Hub (LAURA). Her research examines the lived experiences of musicians with aphantasia, a distinct cognitive profile which causes highly reduced to no ability to generate real-feeling mental imagery. This can include visual aphantasia, where image-free thinking allows one to think in darkness, or auditory aphantasia, where silent thinking prohibits one from hearing inner sound and inner music in the mind’s ear. Through her research, she aims to contribute to the development of more inclusive approaches to musical learning and performance.

A native of New York City, Neesa brings an interdisciplinary background in classical music performance on viola, violin and viola pedagogy, and classroom music education, alongside professional expertise in clinical social work and psychotherapy within the New York City public mental health sector. She herself has total aphantasia.